In railway track fastening applications, two important parameters associated with a track fastening are its ability to provide vertical adjustment and its vertical stiffness.
Vertical adjustment is required to make corrections to rail level, particularly in the case of slab track applications (i.e. those without ballast) where it is not possible to adjust (i.e. “tamp”) the ballast.
For such applications which require moderate levels of stiffness, it is typical to provide a fastening system with an adjustable baseplate where the only resilience comes from a rail pad that fits between the rail and the baseplate. The baseplate provides the capability of adjustment, but adds significantly to the cost and weight of the rail fastening system.
Accordingly, a rail fastening assembly that can provide moderate stiffness and vertical adjustment without an expensive or heavy baseplate is desirable.
The present disclosure seeks to address this issue.